Elevator guide rail lubricator



Feb. 12, c B DQANE ELEVATOR GUIDE RAIL LUBRICATOR Filed Juli; 8, 1955 INVENTOR.

Carleton B.D0ane ATTORNEY Q quantities of the lubricant are fed to the shoe Patented Feb. 12, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,990,777 ELEVATOR GUIDE RAIL LUBRICATOR Carleton B. Duane, Upper Darby, Pa.

Application July 8, 1933, Serial No. 679,494

9 Claims. (01. 1'8421) lower end of the rail. On the other hand, if the lubricator be so adjusted as to prevent this wastage of lubricant during periods when the elevator is in infrequent use or not being used at all, the quantity of oil supplied isinsufficient ,5 to properly lubricate the shoe and guide rail when the elevator is in normal use.

A principal object'of the present invention, therefore, is to provide an improved elevator guide rail lubricator which is automatically operative to feed con-trolled quantities of lubricant to the guide shoe and rail of an elevator.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lubricator of the class described adapted to feed lubricant to the guide rail and shoe of an elevator while the latter is being operated and to with-hold it therefrom when the elevator is at rest for any considerable period.

A further object of the invention is the provisionof a guide rail lubricator-embodying means 20 actuated through movement of the elevator cab to which it is attached for delivering 'a con-trolled quantity of lubricant to the shoe and rail in correspondence with the extent of use of the elevator. I

A still further object of the invention is to provide a lubricator of this character comprising a valve, lubricant reservoir and operating means for the valve designed for attachment to an elevator cab so as to move therewith, and cooperative, when so attached, with means fixedly disposed in the elevator shaft to actuate the valve to feed lubricant from the reservoir so as to deliver the lubricant to the guide rail substantially only while the cab is in operation.

Other objects, purposes and advantages of the invention are more specifically mentioned hereinafter or will be readily appreciated from the following description of one form of lubricator constructed in accordance therewith and shown in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the said 'lubricator withcertain parts omitted for clearness .of illustration; Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1, the guide rail and certain associated mechanisms being fragmentarily indicated in dot and dash lines; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a. fragmentary enlarged detailin verticalsection on the same plane as Fig. 2. In the several figures, like characters are used to designate the same parts.

The present invention relates to automatic means for lubricating the guide rails in elevator shafts, and more particularly to apparatus of this character designed to :be mounted on the elevator guide rail shoes which partially embrace the guide rails to retain the elevator properly positioned in the shaft and which, when so mounted, is operative to supply lubricant to the respective interengaging surfaces of the rail and shoe during the traverse of the car between the bottom and the top of the shaft.

Automatic guide rail 'lubricators which have heretofore been devised may :be generally classified into two main types, each of which is more desirable in certain aspects than the other. Thus, one of these types which has gone into extensive use comprises a lubricant storage tank having an outlet suitably controlled by a needle valve, wick or other rneans so as .to continuously feed a small supply of oil to the guide shoe and rail but is undesirable in that when properly adjusted for ordinary operation of the elevator, excessive quantities of oil arefed when the elevator is used less frequently during holidays and the like or when standing idle over night. The other type obviates to some extent the disadvantage just adverted to by the utilization of a wick extending from the oil reservoir outwardly into engagement with the guide rail, the capilllary action :of the wick :being partially utilized to feed the lubricant, .so that when the car is idle less oil is drawnfrom the wick, and hence from the reservoir, than when it is in use. It has been found, however, that wicks which are so disposed in engagement with the rails and thus wipe the latter, while fair-1y satisfactory when new, soon become so contaminated with dust and other foreign particles adhering to the rail that they are no longer capable of properly feeding lubricant thereto; it is moreover extremely ,di-fficult to control the feed through the wick .so as to supply asuihcient but not an excessive amount of lubricant to the rail, especially when the use .of the elevator having a lubricator of this type is some- What irregular.

It thus results that when either of these types of lubricators is employed and so adjusted as to supply the lubricant in quantities sufhcient for the normal operation of the elevator, excessive and rail during relatively inactive periods; the lubricant therefore runs by gravity to the bottom 7 of the shaft and is not only wasted but provides That embodiment of my invention which I a fire hazard through saturating whatever refuse have selected as illustrative thereof comprises a or other material may be disposed adjacent the hollow housing 1 which may conveniently b formed of cast iron and is preferably, although not necessarily, of the shape indicated in the somewhat smaller bosses 3 are disposed behind and respectively substantially equidistantfrom the bosses 2', while approximately centrally of the bottom and integral therewith substantiallyannular axiallyaligne'dribs 4, 5.1'espectively'extend above and below it, their interiors being interconnected by a bore 6 forming an outlet from the main reservoir. 7 r I The bosses 2 are preferably drilled and tapped for the reception'of screws 8 extending respectively through supporting feet 9 to hold the latter in adjustable relation to thehousing; these feet provide means for supporting the lubricator from the guide shoe S, indicated in broken lines in Figs. 2 and3,.when they are secured thereto by cap screws B extending through slots 10 in the respective feet and threaded into the shoe at spaced points.

A cross bar 12 is similarly secured to the bosses 3 by screws 13 and thus extends beneath the ribs 4, 5 and bore 6 in the bottom of the housing. This bar is, enlarged. adjacent its centerrto provide an annular rib 14 substantially similar to rib. 5 and in registry therewith, these ribs cooperating to retain between them a piece of glass or'other cylindrical tubing 15 of suitable size to form a feed reservoir 1', gaskets 16, 17 being disposed at its ends to seal its interior through contact with the housin 1 and bar 12 respectively. Abore 18 in the bar 12'communicates with the interior-of the tube 15 substantially axially of the rib 14; this bore is closed at its bottom but is provided withan outletat one side through a tube 19, soldered or otherwise secured in the bar 12. At the inner end of the tube 19 a beveled seat.

20 isformed for reception of the point2l of a needle valve 22threaded through bar 12 and thus controlling the outlet from the bore 18 and con sequently, the rate of lubricant feed through the tube 19, a lock nut 23 being provided for securing the valve 22 in any desired position of adjustment. The projecting end of the tube 19 extends a short distance beyond the plane of. the front face of the housing 1 and thus into close proximity to but slightly spaced from the inner edge of guide rail G when the lubricator is mounted on guide shoe S. It is therefore evident that when the needle valve is not entirely shut lubri cant admitted into the tube 15 by means here after to be described, can flow into tube 19 for discharge from the outer end of the latter adjacent the interengaging inner faces of the guide rail and guide shoe,.it being usual to so adjust needle valve 22 that the lubricant flows from the end of tube 19 rather slowly in a series of drops. As the guide shoe is ordinarily slightly beveled toward the guide rail adjacent its upper edge, the lubricant dripping from the end of tube 19 falls into a trough t formed by this bevel and the rail and is carried-between the bearing surfaces by the upward movement of the shoe on the latter. Inlthe preferred manner of operating the lubricator, the supplying. of oil to the rail and shoe takes place only during the upward travel of the f cab as a result of the adjustable control of the quantities of oil successively admitted to the feed means for effecting scribed.

this'control will now be de- As-has been noted, bore 6 extends through the bottom of the housing and thus interconnects the main reservoir R with the feed reservoir 7. The passage of oil through this bore is controlled, however, by a valve 25 having a conical face adapted to engage a beveled seat 26 formed in the upper portion of the rib 5, the valve being supported from and actuated by a tubular stem 2'7, 1

which extends downwardly beyond the valve and into the feed reservoir to permit passage of air to and from the interior of .the latter as lubricant is received thereinto or discharged therefrom, while the upper end of the stem projects through the top orlid 30 of the housing within a sleeve 31. The latter is threaded into the lid 30 and provides a bearing for the upper portion of the stem as well as a stop to limit its vertical movement, as will hereafter appear. The housing lid 30 is removably-secured to the housing by screws 32 which extend through its downwardly turned ears 33 and into the housing; the sleeve 31 isthus supported by the lid in vertically adjustable relation to the housing. The stem carriesa stop 34 supported by a cotter pin passed through the stem whereby upward travel of the latter is limited by engagement of the stop against the lowerendof the sleeve 31, a lock nut 35 being provided .for holding the sleeve in. any desired position of adjustment. A compression coil spring 36 loosely surrounding the sleeve is interposed between stop 34 and the lid of the housing andthus constantly urges valve 25 against its, seat to thereby prevent passage of lubricant from themain reservoir save when the valve is positively moved off its seat to open position, substantially as indicated in dot and dash lines in Fig. 4, by suitable mechanism associated with the stem. This mechanism comprises a .pair of spaced bosses 40 extending above theupper surface of the lid and desirably formed integral therewith, particularly'when the lid is made of cast iron; these bosses are provided with aligned bores receiving the ends of a transversely extending shaft.

41 which in turn pivotally supports, between the bosses, a yoke 42. From the yoke a pair ofarms 43 project rearwardly on opposite sides of theadjacent portion of stem 27 andbeneath a washer 45 loosely disposed thereon. This washer. is yieldingly held in engagement with the arms by a coil spring 46 surrounding the stem above the washer and abutting lock nuts 4'7 threaded on the upper extremity of the stem whereby move ment of yoke 42 pivotally about shaft 41 is operative to raise. arms 43 and in turn washer 45. As spring 46 is desirably of somewhat greater tension than spring 36, the former is not substantially compressed by this action until after stem stop 34 into engagement with sleeve 31 by which -time valve 25 has been opened. However, any further movement of arms 43 merely compresses spring 46 and does not change the position of the valve.

For effecting the pivotal movement of yoke 42 and arms 43 which has just been described, I extend an arm 50 outwardly from yoke 42 in substantial parallelism with the side face of the adjacent guide rail G; this arm is adjustably threaded into the yoke and may be secured in suitable relation therewith by a lock nut 51. The outer end of the arm carries a head 52 to which-is pivotally secured a trigger 53 by means of a pin 54, the head being so formed as to limit the down- Ward movement of the projecting finger 53. of

the trigger and also to 'insureits return to normal position, as best shown in Fig. 2, after upward deflection therefrom. These "several parts thus serve as a trip which is carried parallel tothe side tace ofthe guide rail when the elevator ,is-moved and is so arranged that trigger :58 will engage a pin P secured to the guide rail :at any suitable point, preferably. several inches above the position of the trigger corresponding to the.

point of lowermost normal travel of the elevator. Thus, as the elevator carries the lubricator upward past the pin, the latter contacts the finger 53 and rotates yoke 42 on its pivot to thereby raise valve and admit a quantity of oil into the feed reservoir, while on the return motion of the elevator the pin merely moves the trigger about its pivot without eifecting any resultant actuation of the other associated mechanisms.

To facilitate the introduction into the housing of the lubricant, that which I prefer to use being a rather free flowing but heavy bodied mineral oil although the lubricator is capable of feeding other sorts of lubricants with equal facility, the housing lid is provided with a port 56 closed by a movable shutter 57 pivoted thereto by a screw 58, effective to prevent the ingress of dust or foreignmaterial to the reservoir.

Reference will now be made to the operation of a lubricator constructed substantially as hereinbefore described, it being of course understood that normally the elevator cab will be provided with two such lubricators respectively mounted on the shoes which engage the guide rails on opposite sides of the shaft: Elevators are ordinarily brought to a stopadjacent the lower floors of the building on each trip but are not always operated to the upper extremity of their possible travel and for this .reason, as well as to take advantage of the force of gravity in effecting the flow of lubricant to and between the bearing surfaces of the shoe and rail, the stop P is preferably disposed at a point at which it will engage rigger finger 53" shortly after the initiation of the upward travel of the cab from its stop at the first floor level. The cab is thus ordinarily traveling at a relatively low speed when the stop is engaged by the trigger, and excessive noise of contact and/ or damage to the respective parts is thereby avoided. However, irrespective of the position of the stop vertically of the shaft, when engaged by trigger 53, it is effective momentarily to prevent further upward movement of the latter, and as the remainder of the device continues to move, the yoke 42 is depressed about its pivot on shaft 41, and when the cab and lubricator have thereafter moved sufliciently with relation to the stop to permit disengagement of the trigger and pin, the yoke 42 and associated parts return to normal position. The pivotal downward movement of trigger 53 thus effected results in an upward movement of arm 43 and thereby raises valve stem 2'7 and valve 25, permitting a controlled quantity of the lubricant, previously introduced to main reservoir R before the car was placed in operation, to flow through port 6 from the main reservoir into the feed reservoir 1", the air in the latter being exhausted through the tubular bore in stem 27 as it is replaced by the lubricant. 1

Inasmuch as the feed reservoir fills very rapidly, the desired quantity of oil is readily admitted before valve 25 returns to its sea-t under influence of spring '36 upon release of trigger 53 from stop P, thus shutting off further flow from the main reservoir. During thefurther upward travel of the cabin theshaft, however, the oil admitted into the feed reservoir is slowly fed by gravity past needle valve 22 into tube 19 and thence to the bearing surfaces between shoe S and guide rail (3:, the rate of feed .being of course suitably proportioned to the speed'of the elevator and other factors by adjustment of the needle valve.

It will therefore be apparent that by such ad- 'justment substantially any desired rate of feed may be maintained until all of the oil in the feed reservoir isused up, air being drawn through stem 2'? to replace the oil as it is discharged, and that no more oil will thereafter be delivered from the main reservoir until operation of the elevator brings about a further actuation of the valve 25.

"lire lubricator is also adjustable to permit variation of the quantity of lubricant admitted to the feed reservoir while valve 25 is held open through engagement of stop P with trigger 53, the means for cheating this adjustment comprising sleeve 31 which may be adjusted vertically to permit the valve to be raised a greater or less distance from its seat each time it is actuated. This adjustmen-t ordinarily be varied in accordance with the elevator speed which determines the length of time the valve will remain open during each trip of the cab, as well as by the viscosity of the lubricant itself and other conditions relating to the quantity of oil it is desired to discharge into the feed reservoir which quantity, of course, bears a direct relation to the distance above its seat to which valve 25 is moved when all other factors are the same.

It will .thusbc evident that the lubricator is capable of a wide range of adjustments through the medium of which it may be adapted to almost any operating condition encountered in elevator work, and that when properly adjusted for the requirements of any particular installation it is operative to automatically discharge just the right quantity of oil to adequately lubricate the guide shoe and rail for each and every trip of the cab. It will be appreciated, moreover, that when the lubricatoris installed on an elevator operating in an excessively long shaft and it is not desired to use a proportionately large feeding reservoir, additional stops P may be disposed at spaced points along the rail in order to effect refilling of the feed reservoir 1' more than once for each upward trip made by the cab, although usually suficient lubricant can be supplied to the rail when the feed reservoir is relatively small inasmuch as a new supply is afforded for each trip and is effectively fed to the rail without wastage and remains thereon. In this connection it may be noted that I prefer to so adjust the lubricator that the oil feed to the shoe and rail will commence substantially immediately after the initial movement of the cab at the beginning of each upward trip, will continue approximately throughout that trip, and will cease at about the time the cab reaches the top of the shaft. To this end, the amount of oil admitted to the feed reservoir for each actuation of valve 25 should be just sufiicient to properly lubricate the rail during the upward travel of the cab and no more, the supply in the feed reservoir thus becoming exhausted approximately at the time the cab reaches the top of the shaft so that no lubricant will be discharged during the subsequent down trip, the parts being then lubricated by the oil adhering to the rail as a result of the feed during the preceding up trip. However, if desired, the

j United States:

lubricator may be so arranged as to discharge lubricant on its up and down trips, it being merely necessary to make proper adjustments in the needlevalve 25 and sleeve 31 for this purpose. 7

While I have herein described one embodiment of my invention with considerable particularity,

it is not my intention to thereby confine or refrom the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the 1. A guide rail lubricator adapted for operative support upon'an elevator cab comprising a housing including a lid and providing a main lubricant reservoir having an outlet leading from its bottom, a valve controlling said outlet comprising a tubular stem slidably extending through said lid and communicating with said outlet, means yieldingly urging the stem in one direction to seat the valve, means adjustably limiting movement of the stem in the opposite direction, means providinga feed reservoir communicating with said outlet, a tube extending from the feed reservoir to a point adjacent the elevator guide rail, and means for opening and closing said valve to provide for intermittent passage of lubricant from the main reservoir into the feed reservoir in timed relation with the movements of the cab comprising a pivoted arm, carried by the lid, engageable by an element carried by the guide rail, andmeans actuated from said arm for lifting the valve stem in opposition to said yielding means.

2. An elevator guide rail lubricator adapted for operative support upon an elevator cab comprising a housing providing a main reservoir and an outlet leading therefrom through the bottom of the housing, means forming a feed reservoir communicating with said outlet disposed beneath the housing, a discharge tube'leading from the feed reservoir to a point adjacent the guide rail, a needle valve for controlling the flow of lubricant 'from the feed reservoir through the tube, a valve controlling the passage of lubricant from the main to the feed reservoir, yielding means tending to maintain the valve in closed position, and

means for opening the valve during upward travel of the cab relatively to the rail comprising an arm pivotally supported on the housing and extending toward the rail, a movable trigger at the extremity of the arm adapted to engage an element carried by the rail, and yielding means interposed between the arm, and the valve operative when the arm is depressed from its normal position by said'engagement to liftothe valve from its seat in opposition to said first mentioned yielding means.

3. An elevator guide rail lubricator comprising a housing having a lid and providing a main lubricant reservoir and an outlet leading therefrom, means for supporting the housing on the elevator cab shce,'means forming a feed reservoir disposed beneath the housing communicating with said outlet, a discharge tube leading from the feed reservoir, a needle valve adjustably controlling the flow of lubricant through said tube, a valve controlling the passage of lubricant from'the main to the feed reservoir, a valve stem extending from the valve through the lid of the housing and hav.- ing a bore communicating with the feed reservoir at one end and open to the atmosphere at the,

other end, a spring surrounding said stem operative to yieldingly urge the valve towardv its seat, adjustable means for limiting movement of the valve away from its seat, and means operable to raise the valve stem to lift the valve from its seat for a predetermined intervaldur-ing each upward movement of the elevator cab.

4. An elevator guiderail lubricator comprising a housing having a lidandfproviding amain lubricant'reservoir and an outlet leading therefrom, a

means for supporting the housing onthe-elevator cab shoe, means forming a feed reservoir disposed beneath the housingcommunicating with said outlet, a discharge tube leading from the feed reservoir, a needle valve adjustably controlling the'flow of lubricant through said tube, avalve controlling the passage of lubricant from the main to the feed reservoir, a hollow valve stem communicating with the feed reservoir and extending from the valve-through" the lid of the housing, a spring surrounding said stem operative to yieldingly urge the valve toward'its seat, adjustable means for limiting movement of the valve away from its seat, and means operable to raisethe valve stem to lift the valve from its seat for a predetermined interval during each upward movement of the elevator cab comprising an arm pivotally supported on the housing adapted to extend toward the elevator rail, a movable trigger carried by the outer end of the arm for engagement with an element carried by'the rail to thereby depress the arm as the cab moves upward, and means actuated by said movement of the arm to raise the stem against the pressure of said spring and hold the valve from its seat while the trigger is in engagement with said element, said spring operating to return the valve to its seat immediately said trigger is disengaged therefrom.

5. An elevator guide rail lubricator adapted for operative support upon an elevator cab comprising a housing having a-lid and providing a main lubricant reservoir having an outlet, means forming a feed reservoir communicating with said out-V let, a valve controlling flow of lubricant through said outlet to the feed reservoir, a valve stem'extending from the valve upwardly through the lid, a sleeve'surrounding the stem supported in the lid, 2. stop carried by the stem beneath the sleeve, a'spring surrounding the stem between the stop and the lid,'and means for opening the valve during ascent of the cab comprising an arm pivotally supported on the housing havinga trigger adapted for engagement with an element carried by the elevator guide rail, a second spring surrounding the stem above the lid, means carried by the stem 'forming abutments for the ends of the second spring, and means cooperative with the lowermost abutment and movable in correspondence with the movements of said arm operative when the arm isinitially'depressed to raise the stem and associated parts in opposition to the first .spring until the stop engagesthe sleeve and on said outlet to the feed reservoir, a hollow valve stem communicating with the feed reservoir and extending from the valve upwardly through the lid, a sleeve surrounding the stem adjustably supported in the lid, a stop carried by the stem beneath the sleeve, a spring surrounding the stem between the stop and the lid, and means for opening the valve during ascent of the cab comprising an arm pivotally supported on the housing having a trigger adapted for engagement with an element carried by the elevator guide rail, a second spring surrounding the stem above the lid of greater tension than the first spring, an abutment carried by the stem above the second spring, a washer loosely seated on the stem below said spring, and means cooperative with the washer and movable incorrespondence with the movements of the arm operative, when the arm is initially depressed by engagement with said element during ascent of the cab, to raise the stem and associated parts in opposition to the first spring until the stop engages the sleeve and on further depression of the arm to compress the second spring between the abutment and the washer.

7. An elevator guide rail lubricator adapted for operative support upon an elevator cab comprising a housing providing a main lubricant reservoir having an outlet, means forming a lubricant passage communicating with said outlet, a valve controlling fiow of lubricant thereinto from the reservoir and having an upwardly extending stem, a sleeve surrounding the stem and supported from the housing operative to limit movement of the valve in one direction, and means for moving the valve in said direction during ascent of the cab comprising pivotal means supported on the housing for engagement with an element carried by the elevator guide rail and yielding means interconnecting said pivotal means and said valve stem. v

8. An elevator guide rail lubricator adapted for operative support upon an elevator cab comprising a housing providing a main lubricant reservoir having an outlet, a lid carried by the housing, means providing a lubricant passage communicating with said outlet, a valve operative to control the flow of lubricant through said outlet, a valve stem extending from the valve upwardly through the lid, a sleeve surrounding the stern and supported from the lid, a stop carried by the stem within the housing, a spring interposed between the stop and the lid, and means for opening the valve in response to movement of the cab comprising means pivotally supported on the housing for engagement with an element carried by the elevator guide rail, a second spring surrounding the stem above the lid and engaging said pivotally supported means, means carried by the stem forming abutments for the ends of said second spring, and means carried by the pivotally supported means cooperative with the lowermost abutment and movable in correpondence to the movement of said pivotally supported means in one direction operative initially to raise the stem and associated parts in opposition to the first spring until the stop engages the sleeve and thereafter to compress the second spring between said abutments. 7

9. An elevator guide rail lubricator adapted for operative support upon an elevator cab comprising a housing providing a main lubricant reservoir having an outlet, a valve controlling said outlet, means forming a feed reservoir communicating with said outlet beneath the valve, a discharge tube extending from the feed reservoir for conveying lubricant to a point adjacent the guide rail, means for adjustably controlling the flow of lubricant through said discharge tube, a hollow valve stem extending through the'valve into the feed reservoir and communicating with the 

